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Bugle
History In the eighteenth century, the difficult terrain and unconventional tactics encountered in the fighting in North America and the Caribbean encouraged the British Army to introduce Light Companies. These were alert and active men, lightly equipped to protect the main force with their modern skirmishing tactics. All cumbersome equipment was therefore dispensed with and the drum, normally used for conveying orders in the field, was discarded in favour of the bugle because the drum hindered rapid movement. A first list of bugle calls was issued to the British Army in 1778 The advantages of sending messages by bugle rather than drum was clear to see, and the bugle was adopted by all line regiments and Corps for this purpose. All members of a Corps of Drums are expected to be able to play the daily calls on a bugle as their secondary instrument. The Light Companies are long gone whilst the regiments forming the Light Division (Light Infantry and the Royal Green Jackets) amalgamated in 2007 to form the Rifles. The Rifles do not carry a drum or flute in addition to the bugle as is practice in other infantry regiments, and indeed some Corps. Although it is no longer used as a means of communication on the battlefield, the bugle remains an integral part of day to day life throughout the British Armed Forces for the sounding of daily calls, ceremonial occasions and in musical displays. The bugle is generally made of brass or copper but can also be made of silver or silver plate. It is a treble instrument differing from the Cavalry trumpet in having a shorter and more widely conical tube, with a less expanded bell. The regulation bugle is now built in B♭ only and, as it is treated as a transposing instrument, the calls are still written in the key of C. Only five notes are required for the various calls, however a more competent bugler may be able to play up to eight notes, the extra three notes being used in fanfares and musical arrangements. The Bugle There are most likely as many Corps of Drums using the bugle as their principal instrument as there are those using the flute. The Bugle has some limitations due to its restricted harmonic series. That is not to say that the bugle should not be given serious consideration; it should, and it may even be said that since the bugle is such a limited instrument, there is some challenge to use it to its best advantage by clever writing and arranging of bugle music. What better example of this could there be than the buglers of the Rifles! There are fewer moving parts on the bugle than on other instruments such as the flute so maintenance is comparatively simple and largely a matter of common sense. However, in order to maintain the bugle in a clean and hygienic condition, there are a number of points which need regular attention, such as the mouth piece and body of the instrument.